Two More Completed.

During the week I completed 2 more little quilts for SANDS. I took the 4 I had made along to my P and Q Group meeting day

yesterday and found that Jan G had also made 4 and 10 others had completed one each. 18 so far, from our group and the Tuesday evening group may still have some to hand in. I also gave my 6 little knitted beanies and 2 sets of booties. We did hear that 900 quilts are needed annually in NZ so that is a sad number of wee babes who don't live!

There was lots happening at our meeting yesterday ; Robin from Tauranga Sewing Centre, talked to us and showed us all the latest products they have in ( and examples of their use )and bought along the Bernina 75 th Anniversary Quilt that Tauranga have for display for one week. This quilt was made by each Bernina Dealership in New Zealand making one block that depicts their area. It was huge and has the blocks surrounding a stylized map of NZ made from rectangles of NZ fabric. ( there wasn't room to get a good photo of the whole thing). The last photo shows the block Tauranga Sewing Centre ( 38 years old )made - it depicts a surfer at the Mt. beach and the centre of the sun is a kiwifruit slice. This quilt is travelling around NZ to be displayed fow a week at each bernina Dealership and a few other places, so some of you may get to see it. Robin also informed us there is yet another new Bernina machine arriving shortly and it will cost US$12,000. Finally Bernina are working on producing a quilter's long arm machine too.

The rain has returned again today. We have had kiwifruit pruners here for about 3 days now ( some working in the rain today ) and the hedges all got trimmed and yesterday while it was fine and sunny the big mulcher came and chopped up all the hedge prunings. That gives us some work to do following the pruners neatening and taking off old stalks and clips and DH mulches up the prunings with our tractor towing the mower. We don't do that in the rain - the sun will return and I need to get my neck and arms slowly used to work above my head again. BUT from next week there will be more orchard work and less sewing happening........I quite liked being retired for a few weeks.

Finished!

Last Thursday I collected the fabric for the final wide border around my quilt. I got 2.5 metres as I wanted to cut the outside border lengthwise in single strips with no stretch. I will also use some of it for the binding. That will leave quite a bit over but that will get used sometime else. Friday I washed the fabric and got it dry by ironing and hanging near the fire, then I completed sewing on the binding by lunchtime. That meant I was able to take it up the road to Jenny at Stitchworks to discuss the quilting of it. Yeah! ( she stocks wide batting and very wide backing fabrics)So now I just need to be patient for maybe 2 months till it comes back.

On Saturday quite a good number of ladies from my P & Q group ( here are just 2 of them in the photo )turned out to spend the day either working on their own projects or making tiny quilts for donation to SANDS. (Stillborn and Newborn Death Support ). They put the quilts with other things called Moses Baskets.We had a fun day sewing, talking, eating and generally being together encouraging each other's efforts. Later 7 of us went out for an evening meal. I have almost completed 2 small quilts for SANDS - pale blue being the main colour in these 2 as I had it spare and it is a lovely soft colour. (photo )They are relatively quick to complete ( mine being 20" square )and a good way to try and use up small fabric scraps. I am going to continue to make these and to complete anything else that calls me from my sewing cupboard. I don't really have many things to finish but will check and see. Good excuse to go and rummage around looking at fabric and the odd magazine in there . LOL.

Best Wishes.

Today I want to send Best Wishes to some friends.

Happy Birthday Soozii! ( I won't mention how many) but hope you have a great day. I know it might not be easy but look forward dear friend, we are wishing you all the best.
Happy 43 rd Wedding Anniversary to Sheila and the Scot. That's quite an achievement.

At the Border.

Just the final border to go now!

The photos show the joined together blocks on the ironing board,

Then with the 2 borders added.

Notice how the colours look different in every photo. They are indeed purples not blues as they look in some shots. I am rapt with how it has all come together and the end is in sight! At the moment the quilt measures 7 ' by 7 ' or 84 inches square. The final border will add another 10 or 12 inches as it will be at least twice the width of the first 2 borders. It is to be a dark purple fabric. I didn't have enough left of any of the fabrics so Barnhouse are getting in one of the dark purples I have used for the final one. I will pick that up on Thursday when I have to be in town for a meeting. I have a smile on my face! I like it.

At the moment I think I might get it commercially quilted because of its size. I have never done that before, but I would hate to spoil it . I am going to be keeping this quilt so I guess that might justify the expense.

Chilly Walk.

Put on your warmest jacket and hat and gloves and come for a walk with me. The sun is shining but the wind is cutting , so walk briskly.

We are walking along the Omokoroa Peninsula, through streets of houses then across the reserve, along the cliff top where through the shadows and the trees you can see small boats of every type and in the distance Mt. Maunganui. ( usually my photos show the Mt. from the other side ) As we emerge from the trees at the bottom of the hill small coloured row boats are propped unused against a pole waiting for Summer. The tide is way out.The wharf is exposed but the barge that crosses to Matakana Island, is filling with an assortment of vehicles and people.
There that took 50 minutes; I hope you warmed up and feel invigorated after your walk.
( Omokoroa Peninsula is about 7 kms away from where I live , going West away from Tauranga direction . )

Walnuts and Books.

Every day this week I have managed to spend an hour shelling walnuts. There are sacks to get through, so on goes the radio and lights in the shed and I hammer away on the firm metal work bench.The photo shows this morning's effort (and I can see one I need to remove ) which are put in zip lock bags and into the deep freezer - they will keep for ages there and not go rancid or get weevils. ( the shells then go as mulch under the avocado trees ) It is great to know that walnuts are really good health food. The oleic acid they contain ( monounsaturated ) helps lower cholesterol and is good for the heart and arteries. See

http://www.crackernut.co.nz/eatwalnuts.html . My own cholesterol level has started to creep up a little over the last few years so I am hoping eating lots of walnuts and macadamia nuts and taking fish oil tablets will help lower it. I have a friend who was told by her doctor to do just that as the meds she was taking, for that purpose, didn't agree with her. I would much much rather take natural things or food to rectify a problem.

At the moment I am 2/3 of the way through Jenny Pattrick's latest NZ book," Landings. " It is fiction based on fact and set on the Whanganui River at the beginning of the 1900s. As it is not too far from where I grew up I know the area and have often driven beside the river, down the Parapara Road, when I was teaching at Owhango ( south of Taumaranui ) in the 1960s. This is the 5th book I have read by her and like them as there is plenty of fact in the stories. Her 3rd book, " Catching the Current, " is still my favourite, as it was set in NZ and in the Danish Faroe Islands.
Today's 3rd photo was taken on Tuesday afternoon when the sun shone on our backs as we took a walk along the beach and back. ( Yes, that's Mt. Maunganui in the distance )